1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to apparatuses and methods for labeling products, and more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for applying flexible, tubular labels to containers.
2. Background Information
Tubular, flexible, labels have become popular for labeling plastic "two-liter" bottles. Apparatus and methods for automatically placing tubular labels on empty containers have been developed. Recently it has been found desirable to label bottles filled with fluid. Labeling filled bottles presents special problems for labeling machines due to the added mass of the fluid and the effect of the fluid mass moving within the bottle. One apparatus and method for labeling filled bottles disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,825 has been developed by the present assignee with considerable success. However, this apparatus requires costly specialized parts, does not adapt well to variations in bottle shapes and will occasionally jam and damage bottles. Fluid-filled bottles create greater problems when damaged in a labeling operation because the contents spill over the machinery and other bottles. Therefore, a need has arisen for a high speed filled bottle labeler which can be manufactured at low cost, which accepts variations in the shapes of bottles to be labeled, and which reduces jams and down time.